New Rochelle, N.Y. - The Robert Morris University men's basketball team hit its first nine shots of the second half and 64.9 percent (24-for-37) on the game en route to a 70-62 win at Iona Saturday at the Hynes Athletic Center. Thanks to their first road victory of the 2008-09 campaign, the Colonials even their record at 3-3, while the Gaels fall to 2-3.
RMU never trailed in the contest, as after senior guard Jeremy Chappell (Cincinnati, Ohio / Northwest) and Milan Prodanovic traded three-pointers early in the contest, junior guard Jimmy Langhurst (Willard, Ohio / Willard) gave the Colonials the lead for good with a trifecta of his own with 17 minutes to play in the first half. It was part of a 19-8 surge for Robert Morris in the opening 10 minutes of the game, as Langhurst scored eight points and Chappell five during the opening salvo.
Iona called timeout after junior Mezie Nwigwe's (Hyattsville, Md. / High Point) jumper gave RMU an 11-point lead, and the Gaels were able to trim their deficit to five, 19-14, on the strength of six straight points, but a jumper from sophomore guard Gary Wallace (Montclair, N.J. / Seton Hall Prep) and a three-pointer from Nwigwe quickly got the lead back to double digits, 24-14, for Robert Morris.
The Colonials eventually entered the break with a 30-17 advantage, and the lead swelled to 15 on a pair of occasions in the first two minutes after halftime thanks to jumpers from Chappell and Langhurst.
Iona used a full-court press to try to get back in the game, cutting its deficit to 36-28 after a layup from Devon Clarke. However, Wallace drained a three-pointer to get the Robert Morris lead back to double digits, 39-28, and the biggest advantage of the night for the Colonials came thanks to a pair of free throws from Langhurst with 5:54 remaining that pushed RMU in front, 57-41.
The Gaels had one last run, closing to within six, 61-55, after Clarke converted an old-fashion three-point play with just 1:04 to go to cap a 14-4 run. Robert Morris sealed the victory at the charity stripe, hitting seven of its last eight attempts in the final minute.
Chappell and Langhurst tied for game-high honors with 17 points each, and the duo combined to hit 12 of their 16 attempts from the field, including a 6-for-8 showing from beyond the arc. Gary Springer scored 17 points off the bench to pace Iona, while Clarke finished with 10 points for the Gaels.
Chappell tied Wallace for game-high honors with five rebounds, while Wallace also finished 4-for-6 shooting for nine points. Junior forward Rob Robinson (Waldorf, Md. / Globe Institute of Technology) finished with eight points, four assists and a block in 25 minutes of action, and Francisco added seven points and six assists. Off the bench, Nwigwe chipped in with nine points, two rebounds, an assist, block and steal.
Robert Morris opens Northeast Conference action in its next contest, welcoming St. Francis (N.Y.) to the Charles L. Sewall Center Thursday, Dec. 4, for a 7:00 p.m. tip.
